Unattended Setup of Network Cards from Drvlib

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51

SYMPTOMS

Unattended setup of network cards from the Drvlib directory of the Windows NT compact discs requires that you copy the network adapter setup files to a separate directory and specify the path to Oemsetup.inf in the unattended setup answer file.

This article describes a method for including network cards from the Drvlib directory in the Windows NT distribution files on a network share so that they are part of the default available network adapters at setup time.

WORKAROUND

WARNING: Modification of Setup files can cause serious, system-wide problems before and after Setup and may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the modification of the Setup files can be solved. Make Setup file modifications at your own risk.

In the following procedure, assume that drive D is the CD-ROM drive and drive X is a network share from which you run unattended installations:

1. At a command prompt, type the following to copy the Windows NT distribution files to a network share:

         copy d:\i386\*.* x:\
   

2. At a command prompt, type the following commands to copy the network adapter related files:

         d:
         cd \drvlib\netcard\x86\<nicname>
         copy *.* x:\
         x:
         cd \
         rename oemsetup.inf oemnadxx.inf
   

   Note that <nicname> is the name of the subdirectory of the Drvlib directory that matches the network adapter.

   Because all network adapter setup script files are called Oemnad*.inf, you need to choose a name Oemnadxx.inf that does not already exist in the Windows NT compact disc distribution files (for example, Oemnad3c.inf for a 3Com adapter).

   Oemnadxx.inf will refer to this file and xx.sys will refer to the driver file name.

3. During the first phase of unattended setup, all system files are temporarily copied to C:\$Win_nt$.~LS and C:\$Win_nt$.~BT. Dosnet.inf describes the files that have to be copied. You must modify Dosnet.inf so that all the necessary files are included.

   Edit X:\Dosnet.inf at the end of the [Files] section, and add one line for the INF file and one line per existing file under Drvlib\netcard\x86\<nicname>

         d1,OEMNADxx.INF
         d1,<nicdrv>.SYS        <replace with the proper file name>
         d1,file1
   
      and so on for all other existing files under the subdirectory
      described above.
   
   

4. Txtsetup.sif is used during the text mode phase of the unattended setup. It tells the setup process which files have to be copied to the hard disk. You must modify the Txtsetup.sif file: at the end of the [Files] section, add the following line for the setup information file:

         Oemnadxx.inf = dx,d7,,2,0,0
   

   Add a line for the network adapter driver so that it will be copied to System32\drivers directory:

         xxDRV.sys = dx,d19,,4,1
   

   For all other files xx.xxx in the Drvlib\Netcard\x86\<nicname> directory, add a line:

         xx.xxx = dx,d4,,2,0,0
   

   These files will be copied to the System32 directory.

5. Oemnadzz.inf is a global setup script file that includes the definition of all network adapters from Drvlib directory. Because you want to use the OemnadXX.inf file that was copied on the flat distribution files, not the Oemsetup.inf file from Drvlib\netcard directory, the matching option in Oemnadzz.inf must be disabled. To do this, run the following batch commands at the command prompt:

         x:
         cd \
         attrib -r oemnadzz.in_
         expand -r oemnadzz.in_
         del oemnadzz.in_
   

   Edit Oemnadzz.inf and comment out all lines including a network adapter option defined in the Oemsetup.inf [Options] section. To comment a line, place a semicolon (;) in front of it.

   For example, 3C595 and 3C590 are the options to disable for the 3Com PCI adapter defined in the Drvlib\Netcard\x86\el59x directory.

6. The Oemsetup.inf setup script files in the Drvlib directory do not support the unattended setup mode. During an unattended setup, the global variable !STF_GUI_UNATTENDED is set to yes and setup script files test its value to determine whether the network adapter information has to be retrieved from Unattend.txt.

   To prevent user interaction during Setup, modify the OemnadXX.inf file. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q143134
         TITLE     : OEMSETUP.INF Modifications for Automated Windows NT Setup
   
   

7. The unattended setup answer file (Unattend.txt) includes a line to refer to the right network adapter option:

         [NetworkAdapterData]
         !AutoNetOption = "<OEMNIC>"
   

   You can also use the [AdapterParameters] section if you follow the instructions provided in the Knowledge Base article referenced in step 6.

   You are now able to run X:\Winnt32 /U:X:\Unattend.txt.

MORE INFORMATION

The unattended setup answer file (Unattend.txt) includes a section for the network adapter information. (Please refer to the default Unattend.txt file for more details.)

To install a network adapter from the Drvlib directory, you must copy all the related network adapter files from the Drvlib directory to a directory C:\Oem. Then Unattend.txt includes a section similar to the following:

   [NetworkAdapterData]
   !AutoNetOption = "<OEMNIC>"
   !OEMNetOption = YES
   !OEMNetDrive = C:\OEM\
   !OEMNetInfFile = C:\OEM\oemsetup.inf

   ARTICLE-ID: Q141519
   TITLE     : Unattended and Computer Profile Setup Fails to Install
               OEM NIC